Sipping Espresso

Road-trip from Maryland to Washington!

2020-09-03T04:11:00.002+02:00

We knew that if we did get assigned to South Korea for Stephen's next tour, we would make it work for Rosie. That meant driving across the country so that Rosie would only have one flight to take. Here are some pictures from our cross-country road trip from Baltimore to Seattle!

One of my favorite stops was in Bend, OR where Lava Lands National Park was a quite 15-minute drive from he downtown area. We walked Rosie around this amazing park on the water where tons of families were taking paddle boards and tubes onto the water in the warm weather, and then walked this 1-mile hike before crashing at the hotel.

Along the whole way we saw some really beautiful areas

When going through Oregon we were able to stop at a few vineyards which was a great time of rest after a lot of six-hour driving days! Rosie liked it, too.

And now I write to you from our quarantine room in the Air Base at Osan; we were thrilled to have Rosie with us (which was not a guarantee) during the quarantine! Currently, our cell phones have no service, our room phones are not working, and there is no food in our room. So Rosie is looking more and more delicious. Just kidding! She thinks we are starting to look tasty.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

2019-08-31T20:01:00.000+02:00

Chiang Mai, Thailand.

2019-08-15T19:33:00.001+02:00

Tokyo, Japan

2019-08-01T20:16:00.000+02:00

Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany!

2014-09-26T15:26:00.003+02:00

We went to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. We made it. Since we have arrived in Italy, there have been few trips that require extensive planning--planning several months ahead of time, but this trip certainly falls into that category. In January, yes, nine months ago, I began contacting hotels and rental properties in Munich to book a room for the famous event that is Oktoberfest. And last weekend, all of my planning paid off. We drove the five-hour route from Italy to Munich and arrived the night before the first official day of the fair.

On the first Saturday of the event, this year it was September 20, the mayor ceremoniously taps the first keg at noon, and then the party begins. Before noon, you are waiting in lines to get into beer tents while everything is still opening up. But don't be fooled! These beer tents are not tents, they are massive buildings constructed to hold thousands of people. You can see the Paulaner tent below.

At 9:00 in the morning, after walking around the grounds, were lucky enough to find a table in the Schottenhammel beer tent where the mayoral ceremony happens. We saw some German celebrities, though I did not know any of them, and made some new friends while waiting. Before noon you can order food, but the only drink available is sparking water! Many vendors walked around selling pretzels and bread as well as Oktoberfest memorabilia.

Shortly after the ceremony, which can be seen here, the beer starting coming out, and we enjoyed a liter with some Americans that were visiting Germany from Missouri and some friends from Italy that we ran into while walking around!

Here you can see how massive the tent really is, and how many people are jammed inside dancing, singing, and drinking!

After having a quiet dinner in the city of Munich, we returned to Oktoberfest to visit some different beer tents and ride a few of the rides before walking back to our apartment. The next morning we watched some of the parade that marched through the town into the fair grounds.

The rest of the morning we walked around, Stephen played some games and we people-watched (as you can see, there are a lot of people there to watch!).

We ate there in the park that night. I had a currywurst in a tiny bun and Stephen had goulash. I had to buy some of the candied nuts that were sold all throughout the grounds because everywhere you walked the beautiful smell of cinnamon wafted from these stands! I also tried a giant marshmallow ball (cannot for the life of me find the German name of it) covered in chocolate and cake--it was disgusting.

It was raining most of Sunday evening, but we enjoyed every minute of our time at this famous German event. We arrived on Friday evening and left on Monday morning, and that was plenty of time to experience all of Oktoberfest. Like any other fair, there were rides, games, unhealthy food, but here there was lots of beer!

Ljubljana, Slovenia in Two Days!

2014-09-25T16:28:00.000+02:00

It is official, summer is already over and it feels like it never even begun! Well, in the whirlwind of Oktoberfest planning and busy schedules, our short trip to Ljubljana, Slovenia got lost. The trip was last-minute, and we only stayed for two nights at this capital city, but our second trip to Slovenia, the country just east to Italy, proved to be very different from our first. Last winter we visited Bled, Slovenia and skipped over Ljubljana, but this time we skipped Bled and we visited Ljubljana in warmer weather. Our first stop was a wine tasting at Klinec in the Goriska Brda region. We enjoyed a wonderful view and had a few glasses of wine before heading off to our next stop before the capital.

There are two major cavern systems in Slovenia, Postojnska Jama and Skocjanske Jame. The first was described as a world famous attraction equipped with a train to take you through the first portion. I decided that any attraction that began with a train through a beautiful natural landscape was not for me, and decided to book tickets at Skocjankse Jame. After arriving, we took a walk around the area and found this gorgeous church atop the caves.

Since there were no photos allowed on the tour, I've included some here from the Park website to give you an idea of our adventure.

From there, we drove into Ljubljana, another hour from the caves, just in time to get something to eat and walk around the city a little bit. The next day we dodged rain storms while hiking up to the castle on the hill, and popping into all of the markets in the town.

It was a nice place to visit for a weekend, but it certainly does not have the charm or appeal of the more historic cities of Europe.

Country and City in Piemonte, Italy!

2014-08-14T16:09:00.001+02:00

What was supposed to be a rainy weekend turned out to be a gorgeous opportunity for a weekend wine-tasting trip to the Piemonte region of Italy. This northern region lies to the west of our town, only about two hours away. Its landscape is similar to that of Tuscany, yet the vineyards are very different. Many of the vineyards do not welcome visitors, but Stephen and I found a few to tour and taste. We left on Friday morning after a coffee and arrived at Bruno Rocca after getting lost four times, asking for directions three times, and passing the establishment three times as well. It isn't wine country if you aren't asking for directions!

For lunch we went into the town of Barbaresco which was quite small and very unassuming, yet harbored a beautiful enoteca (wine shop) hidden inside of an old church.

Our next stop that day was at Tenuta Carretta whose estate proved to be a jem. It was very disappointing when our guide informed us that she was too busy to give us a tour and rushed us through a tasting, but we decided to return for dinner that night (which was quite amazing!).

The next morning we began our day at Ceretto, the most modern winery I've ever been to! The owners had a giant grape-like bubble built over the vineyard, giving guests a beautiful panoramic view of their grapes and hazelnuts. (Side note: Hazelnuts are a big deal in Piemonte because the soil is supposed to be conducive to the needs of the tree!)

I drove up the side of a mountain, actually the one you can see in the background above, to get to the next enoteca! We finally made it into Barbera and had lunch at an agriturismo down the street from Castello di Verduno where we would have our next tour. The nice old man that greeted us at the Castle did not speak a lick of English, and it took me several minutes to get adjusted to his Italian, but I ended up having a great talk with him and learning a lot about his wines. He took us to the cellar below, told us about how his family's land and his wife's family's land now comprise all of Castello di Verdunno.

Stephen then drove back down the mountain to our last vineyard, Terre da Vino. This tour was quick, but we could tell how massive this wine maker was--instead of the small cask barrels, there were huge metal ones. Despite its broad appeal to the masses, Stephen found a wine that he really liked and we brought back a few bottles.

The next day we drove an hour to Torino (Turin) and our first stop was at the Egyptian Museum in the city since it seems to be the largest attraction there! It turned out to be much more interesting than I imagined with lots of artifacts, exposed mummies (of people and cats!), and an extensive collection of things from the tomb of Kha.

After that, we walked to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and when we saw that there was no line, no entrance fee, and no security, we decided this could not be the church that holds the Shroud. Yet, there it was. A small group of people near the back of the church were looking at this large box, so we went over, looked, watched a short video about it, and left.

In August, most Italians flee the cities and towns and head for the sea since August is a month-long vacation period for most businesses. We took this opportunity to head to the country and the city, and it was quite nice!

A night in Milan, and a weekend in Rovinj, Croatia!

2014-07-10T12:04:00.001+02:00

Last Wednesday night Stephen and I were invited to the Consulate in Milan's party to celebrate the departure of the current Consul General and the 4th of July. We arrived at the Sforza Castle in the middle of Milan at 8:00 p.m. for the reception, and joined a long line of people waiting to enter. Once inside we listened to an a cappella singing group from Yale and enjoyed some appetizers. Most of the actual ceremony was in Italian, but they ended the night with a giant cake and miniature tubs of Ben&Jerry's ice cream. We didn't leave until 11:00, so it was a late night for us since we had to drive to Aviano in the morning.

After spending the night in Aviano we drove another three hours to go through Slovenia into Croatia to the beach town of Rovinj. The town is known for its picturesque port and rocky beaches.

We had great weather and decided to spend the afternoon on the beach on Friday and Saturday afternoon. The water was a beautiful blue, and snorkeling was a lot of fun. There were lots of fish and plant life to admire. We were lucky to find a cool festival in the town on Saturday night. There were two stages set up for singers and bands, as well as food vendors and a man making balloon animals. We sat and had a drink and watched the first band practice before heading to dinner.

Stephen enjoyed a scampi dish while I enjoyed a mixed meat platter and goulash. Afterwards we found a really cool little bar on the edge of the town (literally people sitting on the rocks at the water) to enjoy one last drink and watch the sunset.

We really enjoyed our stay in Rovinj, even if it was a quick weekend break. I would love to see the southern islands of Croatia in the future that are actually renowned for their beaches. This was our first time really embracing the rocky coasts of the Mediterranean; there are very few sandy beaches in Italy, and most Italians have to accept the rocks and pebbles. I can return to Italy feeling a little more European knowing that I don't need sand to enjoy the water!

A Road Trip in Belgium and the Netherlands!

2014-07-01T11:58:00.000+02:00

Buckle up, everybody, this is going to be a long one! Several months ago, Stephen was invited to be a part of a good friend's retirement ceremony in Holland. We decided to make the most of it and turn it into a week-long tour of Belgium and the Netherlands. I had made reservations before May, so when the trip finally came time, I was pumped! We flew into Brussels, Belgium, rented a car and we were on our way. Brussels is a huge (and scary when you are driving through it for the first time), and as with many large cities, it . Unlike cities like Rome and Paris, Brussels does not have a lot of icons everywhere you turn. Instead, it is a working city with a nice history. Our first night there we aimlessly walked around and found the Parc de Bruxelles with the Parliament across the street. We walked back down into the Old Town and sat down in a small square where lots of people were enjoying waffles and fries.

I found a great recommendation online for a restaurant called Skievelat where Stephen and I enjoyed the most delicious meal we had in our entire trip! I had a delicious eggplant lasagna, but Stephen ordered the real treat! He was brought two meatballs in two different sauces and Flemish stew. The Flemish stew (beef cooked in beer for several hours) was amazingly delicious! I also tried my first Belgian waffle--the real way, not the tourist way--with only some sugar and maybe a little cream. It was fine, but I was still thinking of that stew!

The next morning we got up early and found that a bakery nearby had just brought croissants out of the oven and they were the perfect start to our day. A cup of Belgian coffee--nothing like Italian--also helped us to wake up since we were taking a walking tour in a few hours. The other picture below is the small square right outside of our hotel (that was cleaned both mornings).

Before our tour, we walked around a little bit after breakfast to buy Stephen a sweatshirt as it was a little chilly. We stumbled upon Rue de Nueve, and after Stephen got a little warmer we found a very trendy shopping arcade, Galeries St Hubert. There were mostly chocolatiers here selling very expensive chocolates, but we did find a lot of World Cup pride in their windows as well.

We met up with our Free Walking Tour guide in the Grand Place--the biggest and most historic square in all of Brussels. He told us all about the history of each of the buildings including the importance of beer-makers in times of contaminated water, and breadmakers during food shortages. He also took us to see the Mannekin Pis, the Stock Exchange that was built on a river, and the Comic Art Scene where a mural of Tintin, Belgium's most famous comic, is depicted. We finished the tour in the park where Stephen and I walked the night before.

That night before having our last dinner in Brussels, I went out to buy some chocolates in Sablon, the best area for chocolatiers, and and I ended up finding a beautiful part of the city that I had not read about: the view near the Palais de Justice where you could see the Atomium from afar (a museum we decided not to visit) and almost all the city. I brought Stephen back to this spot before dinner to take a quick shot.

The next day we were back on the road, and on our way to Bruges, Belgium.

We met up with our friends (the family that is retiring) and decided that the first thing we had to do was climb the Belfry, a medieval bell tower hovering over the main square in Bruges. Despite a very difficult climb with very narrow and steep spiral staircase (not even mentioning the tons of people trying doing this at the same time as well), the views were well worth it.

The city itself was quite beautiful with canals similar to Venice (just not nearly as many) and lots of trees and birds.

We stepped into the Basilica of the Holy Blood, a Catholic church that not only claims to house the blood of Jesus Christ, but hosts a veneration service to bring out the relic and pay to look at it and pray with it. We just happened to be at the right place at the right time, I guess, because we were able to watch the procession which was quite simple: a priest comes out and reads something in French (or was it Dutch?), then another priest brings out this relic, sets it on the table, and then a line forms to go up to it. That is about it.

We walked around a bit more enjoying an outdoor market and the nice weather. We stopped to get a snack and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to eat one of the most important foods in this country: fries! We chose two different sauces (a delicious curry sauce and a garlic mayo sauce) from the list of about twenty other sauces and sat down to take a break.

Keeping up with our ongoing tradition of souvenirs, I bought a lace Christmas ornament from this store on the main road through the town. We kept walking along and went through the park on the outskirts of town.

Before getting dinner, we checked into our hotel and then took a quick stroll with our friends to their favorite spot in Bruges where the swans congregate.

We had dinner that night at a traditional Belgian restaurant where Stephen had the Flemish stew (again!) and I had a delicious fish stew. Afterwards we found a (touristy) Belgian waffle restaurant as it was closing, so we grabbed a quick dessert.

Bruges was a beautiful little town and as we drove out in the morning we were reminded of how old it is when we had to wait about thirty minutes to get through this one-way bridge!

Our next stop was Zaandam where we were staying in the Netherlands, and immediately upon driving in it smelt like chocolate! The entire time we were there, an aroma of cocoa just flooded the place. We didn't stay long in that town though, before we were on a train heading into the bustling city of Amsterdam. Another city full of canals gave us the perfect opportunity to take some pictures and see some really cool boats! Note: bicycles everywhere!

We walked all the way down from the train station to the Museumplein where most of the city's museum's are located to find the "I Am-sterdam" sign to find it riddled with people. People were everywhere in this city!

We thought we could escape some of the crowds in the Heineken Experience, so we popped in there for a quick drink before dinner. We had plenty of Belgian and Dutch food so far, so we decided to eat in a Thai place next door to the factory which (to Stephen's credit) turned out to be a success. It was a really filling meal and prepared us for another long hike back to the train.

On our way back to the train station we found a little musical gathering and realized that it was the first official day of summer and the citizens of the city had put together a little show to celebrate. We just walked up to it and joined in on the fun!

We only spent one afternoon in Amsterdam, but I know that if we ever go back it will definitely be in the off-season when there are a lot less bikes and a lot less people.

We returned to Zaandam just as the sun was setting and we found this beautiful scene of windmills in our tiny town.

The next morning was a different story, though. The town was quiet and empty that night, but in the morning there were people again! It was a beautiful day nonetheless and we walked along the Zaan to visit all of the beautiful windmills. A lot of buildings had been transformed into little demonstration buildings for traditional Dutch experiences (like chocolate and cheese making). Later that morning we drove down to Uden to meet up with our friends again in their town and prepare for the retirement ceremony the next day.

The length of this posts reflects just how long our trip was, even though it felt so short. This is certainly one of our bigger trips that we have made in Europe and being able to make it into a semi-roadtrip was a lot of fun. We are back home now, but I am already planning for another trip for this weekend!

A Beautiful Day in Borghetto, Italy!

2014-04-15T23:30:00.002+02:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of enjoying a wonderful, springtime afternoon with some friends. We decided to have lunch in Borghetto, Italy and then having a nice stroll through a garden nearby, Parco Giardino Sigurtà. It turned out to be wonderful weather and perfect for a day out. Below is the view from the bridge crossing over to Borghetto.

Here is the restaurant where we ate, and the view down the river.

The park, though it was no Longwood Gardens, was quite nice and peaceful. We drove a golf cart through the grounds and stopped to get lost in the labyrinth.

It was so beautiful and it was quite close to our town, so I hope to take Stephen back this summer so we can have a picnic and see the flowers when they are all in full bloom!

A Sunny Weekend in Tuscany!

2014-03-19T14:13:00.003+01:00

After a long and stressful workweek, Stephen and I drove about four hours south into Tuscany to have a relaxing weekend filled with wine and beautiful scenery. Our first stop was in the Chianti region, one of the most famous areas for red wine. We took a tour of Castello di Verrazzano and Castello di Vicchiomaggio and had a light lunch with some other Italians that were visiting the area.

Before making it to the castle in which we were staying the night, we stopped at another vineyard, Castello di Ama to make a few purchases and then be on our way. The entire drive was absolutely stunning. Every area of Tuscany was a scene of rolling hills and vineyards getting ready for the season. The castle where we stayed was so cool! The name was Castello di Meleto (there seems to be a theme of castles, isn't there?) and we arrived late in the evening so we had a delicious dinner at the castle's restaurant down the road before calling it a day.

In the morning I woke up early to sneak around the castle and take some pictures. We needed to leave early in the day, so we were unable to take the tour, but just walking around the grounds was a wonderful treat. My favorite room was the theater which you can see below--it was incredibly ornate.

We were back on the road at 10:00 and headed toward Siena, one of the major cities of the region. It was huge and set atop a large hill, but even in the off-season there were lots of people bustling about. We walked through Piazza del Campo and then went into the cathedral. As it seems, there are beautiful mosaics on the floors of the cathedral, but they are covered for the majority of the year and only revealed for two weeks at the end of summer. We couldn't see the floors, but did see lots of beautiful paintings and glass.

In the afternoon we drove another hour south into Montalcino where we visited La Fortuna and Il Palazzone (we just had to get away from those castles). We ended the day in Montepulciano, a town about forty minutes to the west, with a dinner and tasting at Gattavecchi, a cellar in an old monastery right on the side of the mountain. It was another beautiful day; we were so lucky with weather almost hitting the 70s.

We stayed the night in an agriturismo, one of my favorite Italian traditions. An agriturismo is essentially a farm that draws visitors to eat or stay. Stephen and I have eaten at many agriturismi near us where the food you eat is food grown and produced only at the farm. The agriturismo we stayed at in Montepulciano was not a restaurant, but they had a farmhouse where we spent the night. We were able to buy some jams that were produced on the fields you see in the pictures below!

On Sunday morning we decided to just head home since we had quite a jam-packed weekend, but when we started to pack up the car we noticed something really strange! At first I thought it was a baby snake, but upon further inspection, there were two lines of caterpillars slowing making their way across the drive in a formation. It was really crazy, so I had to take pictures!

The entire region of Tuscany was utterly beautiful--every ten minutes I wanted to pull the car over to take pictures, but it seemed as though the scenery just got progressively more amazing. We had warm weather, wonderful views, and we brought home plenty of wine to make the trip last even longer.

A Wintry Weekend in Krakow, Poland.

2014-01-29T11:37:00.002+01:00

Our vacation to Krakow, Poland last weekend was one of the coldest trips I have ever taken! We arrived in Krakow on a Thursday night when there was snow already on the ground, and the rest of the trip stayed around -5C and -10C (which is around 20F). On Friday we bundled up to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp in the morning and the Wieliczka salt mine in the evening. I didn't take any pictures in Auschwitz because it didn't really feel right, so you won't see any below, but you can read all about it online. After the hour drive, we took a guided tour at both areas of the camp which took around five hours. I'm glad I went to learn more about the Nazi occupation and the crimes committed on their concentration camps. After that we took a short ride to the salt mine which was a lot of fun.

The mine was almost completely made of salt (with the exception of some wooden support systems) and we only saw 1% of the entire thing, which puts the enormity into perspective. There were lots of statues (made of salt) as well as some more interesting pieces of art (as you can see The Last Supper below). There were three artificial lakes in the tour.

On Saturday morning I set off on my own adventure so I could learn more about the history of Krakow, so I met a group of other travelers for a free walking tour which I highly recommend. In the freezing cold (complete with snow, ice, and wind) we trekked through the Old Town on foot to learn more about the Main Market Square and St. Mary's Basilica, then we went to the city walls on the outside of the Old Town and then Wawel Castle. The tour was a lot of fun (despite the freezing cold) and one of my favorite parts was a quick stop in Jagiellonian University to get a coffee in a 13th century building.

After I finished up my tour at the castle, we all met for lunch and then visited the castle again before doing a little shopping. It was amazing how cheap the entire city was--from food to souvenirs. While we were shopping, I ran into one of the friends I made on my tour and we invited her to go to dinner with us in the square. We went to Wesele which was recommended by our driver (that drove us from the airport to our apartment) and had a wonderful meal.

On Sunday our flight did not leave until the late afternoon, so I was able to go inside the church and see a mass being held at noon in St. Mary's Basilica which was much more ornate and baroque than the outside. After that, we went to a tattoo shop (yes, a tattoo shop!) because Stephen decided that he wanted to get a tattoo while we were here, so he did it! He got his birth year (1988) in Roman numerals below his knee. It was partly planned, but quite spontaneous!

Krakow was a wonderful city and Poland was a great time. It was definitely freezing and again (like last January in Berlin) I vow to never travel in the dead of winter again!

New Year's in Milan, Italy!

2014-01-14T12:27:00.001+01:00

For New Year's Eve, Stephen and I decided to go somewhere--anywhere--since we had to delay our plans for a trip around Switzerland. Since Milan is so close, and also a very big city, we hopped on a train and spent the day in the city. This was my first time exploring further than the Duomo, so our first stop was at Castello Sforzesco, a castle right in the middle of Milan. There is also a park attached to it, and it is amazing how there is a beautiful piece of nature a mere ten-minute walk from the hustle-and-bustle of the Duomo.

On our walk we stumbled along the Arco della Pace and sat down for a minute before we went off to find a place to have lunch.

A trip to Milan is never complete without a trip to the church and the shopping mall, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, attached to the piazza. This mall isn't really a mall, though. It is gorgeous! It is more like beautiful buildings attached by a glass roof with expensive stores inside.

After a great dinner at Andry, a restaurant recommended by the hotel staff, Stephen and I went back to the Piazza del Duomo for a concert. I had never heard of the bands, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.

We spent the last minutes of 2013 in front of the castle where there were fireworks.

The next day we went back to the central Milan train station to get a coffee and catch our train. This is definitely my favorite train station because, like the shopping mall, it is more like a piece of art!

This time next year, Stephen and I will be preparing to go somewhere new and it is crazy to think about how little time we have left here, but at the same time, we are so excited to start somewhere new! Happy New Year and Buon Anno!

Christmas Markets in Bolzano and Innsbruck!

2013-12-03T23:51:00.001+01:00

I don't think I have ever had a busier Thanksgiving weekend! This week was spent preparing for two Thanksgiving dinners and planning a three-day, three-stop weekend that would take us to Bolzano, Italy on Saturday, then to Innsbruck, Austria on Sunday, and finally Aviano, Italy on Monday. This all started when we heard about an organized trip to the Bolzano Christmas market that didn't really fit into our schedule, so we worked around it and made it into a trip! On Thanksgiving we shared a wonderful meal with friends and on Friday we had another Thanksgiving with more friends. Saturday afternoon we embarked on the two-hour trip to Bolzano where one of the biggest Italian Christmas markets is held every year.

It was our first Italian market, but it was very similar to the Vienna and Innsbruck markets from last year. We were able to walk around the town with our friends and enjoying the beautiful scenery. There were singers caroling when we arrived and we quickly bought some gluhwein and hot chocolate to warm us up! I ate a really cold pretzel and had a coffee as we weaved through the shops.

After that, we drove into Innsbruck and arrived around 9 or 10 at night. After checking in to our room and ordering Chinese I decided to venture next door to the hotel (literally right next door) where a beautiful church was lit up. I also sneaked into the graveyard which was very neat! In the morning, we got to see the mountains that were unrecognizable in the dark, and it was like a whole new view!

On Sunday morning we drove into the town for the Christmas market. Even at 10 in the morning the stalls were just beginning to open up, so we grabbed a coffee and waiting for things to get started. Innsbruck is very unique because during the Christmas market the entire city is covered in beautiful decorations on their windows and streets.

Innsbruck definitely has one of the more scenic Christmas markets since it sits on a gorgeous river flowing next to huge snow-topped mountains. I am so glad we were able to visit again this year and get an ornament to add to our tree.

After we had a little lunch, we got on the road again and headed toward the Air Force base in Aviano, Italy. It was our first time driving through the Dolomites and it was breath-taking (and a little scary!). We got in to the base around 9 and then got some sushi. In the morning we ate breakfast and Stephen did some last-minute studying. We were on the road again by 5 and home before 8.

This was a great start to the Christmas season and hopefully we will be able to visit the Verona Christmas market this month. I cannot believe it is already December!

Friday Markets in Town

2013-11-15T15:38:00.001+01:00

A few weeks ago I posted about the antique market we have in town every few weeks. We were able to get some really cool things for really cheap which is awesome! Well, every week we have a much bigger market with more products and the same vendors which move from town to town. There are lots of clothes and several food stands (fruits, cheeses, meats, fish). Here you go!

Stephen's 25th birthday in Brescia

2013-10-10T18:30:00.002+02:00

On Saturday night, Stephen and I celebrated Stephen's 25th birthday in Brescia, the city near our town. The restaurant, I Monaci Sotto Le Stelle (The Monks under the Stars), is a restaurant inside of an old church. The dinner was a lot of fun and the food was amazing!

Here is the entire group and you can see all the beautiful art in the main dining room.

You can see the old church in the tiny dining area next to the main dining room. This is definitely a restaurant that we will return to--not only for the rich history, but for the food and atmosphere.

Creamy Tomato Soup

2013-10-10T18:30:00.001+02:00

There is nothing like a homemade tomato soup. Real chunks of tomatoes floating around instead of just processed junk. I found this recipe for creamy tomato soup and I am addicted. This with a delicious grilled cheese (with real shredded cheddar) could make my day. It takes some time, but it is totally worth it. This recipe also makes a large batch, so you can easily freeze portions to just reheat later!

Ingredients:

3 Tb. olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

Directions:
Add the olive oil to a large pot. Add the diced onions and heat while stirring until the onion begins to soften, about 5 five minutes. Add the minced garlic and heat for an additional 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the broth, water, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes. Once the soup begins to bubble, add the fresh diced tomatoes and heavy cream. If the soup is too chunky for your taste, just add some more water.

Let the soup simmer for 40 minutes. You can top this with some shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with an amazing grilled cheese!

Adapted from Jane Loves Baking.

Parmesan gnocchi.

2013-10-10T18:29:00.000+02:00

I think that I had never had gnocchi before visiting Italy. I know it is available in the States, but its not as popular as it should be because it is amazing! Gnocchi are soft potato dumplings and they act just like pasta--boil them in water for a few minutes and throw them in a pasta sauce. This recipe is super easy and delicious!

Ingredients:
1 lb. gnocchi
2 garlic cloves minced
2 Tb. olive oil or butter
3/4 cup - 1 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano (the good kind of Parmesan)
1/2 cup pasta water (from draining the gnocchi)

Directions:
Set a large pot of salted water to boiling. Once the water begins to boil, add the gnocchi. Once the gnocchi begin to float to the top of the water, it should be done.

While waiting for the water to boil, mince garlic. Add oil and minced garlic to a pan on low heat.

In the sink, set a bowl underneath of a colander and drain the pasta (making sure that some of the pasta water is reserved in the bowl). Then add the gnocchi, pasta water, and Parmesan cheese to the pan with garlic.

Let the cheese melt and reduce for a few minutes. Season it with a little pepper. Done!

Adapted from My Life as a Mrs. blog.

Market in the Piazza

2013-09-29T13:03:00.002+02:00

Every once in a while, Stephen and I spend our Sunday morning enjoying a coffee in the piazza. Since today was a festival for a patron saint, we found a market (think yard sale or flea market) in and around the piazza.

In addition to the market, the Italian Boy Scouts were preparing a lunch for anyone that wanted to enjoy a selection of horse meat and other traditional northern Italian foods. It only cost €15, but Stephen was not interested in eating horse. (Note: Horse is a popular food here, and just beside the piazza is a store dedicated to the sale of horse. You'll find this meat on almost any menu and every grocery store.) Instead, we had some miniature donuts (not a popular food) with powdered sugar.

We had a great morning and we came home with three bialetti (the stove-top espresso maker) of various sizes and an old fan. Even though we did not come home with the €700 painting that we fell in love with, it was still a morning that made us count our blessings. We are lucky to sit beside an old church in an Italian piazza drinking capuccino on a beautiful Sunday morning.

Two hours to the Swiss border!

2013-09-17T12:58:00.000+02:00

So the Swiss border is under two hours from our apartment! So I finally got to leave the EU this weekend and see another country that is on my "Must Do!" list. When I think of Switzerland, I imagine the huge Alps with snow year-round, but Lugano, Switzerland did not fit that image. That is okay, though, because it was a beautiful weekend anyway. We drove up with some friends and spent our Saturday along Lake Lugano. We walked through a gorgeous park that even had a small beach along the shore.

After lunch, we saw a concert of corni delle alpi in the piazza. The musicians were having a lot of fun and I think they were performing all over the town for the weekend's festival. After that we went outside of the town to visit the Alprose Swiss Chocolate Factory and buy some chocolate. The plant was not in production since it was during the weekend, so the tour was pretty boring. Nonetheless, you got tons of free chocolate at the end and it was delicious. Stephen and I came home with 12 bars of milk chocolate which was my favorite from the tasting.

For dinner we took the funicular to the top of Monte Bre where there is a restaurant looking out over the lake and the town. The ride to the top was only 10 minutes, but we had to take two different cable cars to the top, but as you can tell, the views were worth it. We got to the restaurant at 6:00 pm which just happened to be the closing time. Even though it was disappointing, we got drinks at a different bar and then went back down the funicular to find dinner.

Our friends drove back to Italy that night, but Stephen and I stayed in Lugano to explore a little more on Sunday. When we woke up on Sunday, we found a foggy, rainy day and decided to just get breakfast and head home. We had planned to go ziplining on Monte Tamaro so the next time we go to Switzerland we will have to make a stop there.

Roasted Carrots with Thyme

2013-09-17T12:34:00.002+02:00

Let's just say that I have found my preferred method of preparing vegetables: roasting. It is so easy and there is some kind of magic that happens in the oven after you put those veggies in! Here you can see my roasted carrots, not only do they retain all the nutrients by roasting, but carrots can get so sweet. The preparation is literally cutting, slathering in olive oil, then finding the right spice.

Ingredients:
carrots
olive oil
thyme

Directions:

Wash the carrots really well if you don't want to peel them--which I don't. Cut them up into 1/2 inch slices. Use your own judgement here since they should be thin enough to cook, but thick enough to cook for a while without burning.

Toss the carrot slices with olive oil and thyme. Olive oil is your friend, so don't be scared to use it!

Roast until they are a little charred, but not too black.

Pasta with Pesto Cream sauce

2013-09-17T12:15:00.002+02:00

Italy has cultivated a love of basil, especially in the form of pesto since I have so many delicious choices of pre-made pesto! This is a simple pasta dish that takes little time and it comes out delicious every time because it is impossible to mess up. You can also see that I used this recipe as an opportunity to get rid of some odds-and-ends. Here I used farfalle and penne, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Ingredients:
1 cup pre-made pesto
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan
12 ounces, weight Pasta (cavitappi, Fusili, or whatever you have on hand)
2 whole Tomatoes, Diced

Directions:
Cook pasta until al dente.

Heat cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add pesto and stir.

Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl. Pour pesto cream over the top. Toss to combine. Fold in diced tomatoes.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

New pet.

2013-09-08T19:46:00.004+02:00

It is so common to see dogs everywhere in Europe--in restaurants, streets, even in some stores. Stephen and I finally adopted our own pet that actually found us! This is Spike, and he lives in the shutters outside of our living room window. He just molted and you can see the old set of legs in the upper part of his web.

A gorge, a castle, and a quick weekend in Germany!

2013-09-03T18:00:00.002+02:00

In August Stephen and I traveled to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany with our friends to stay at the military lodge for a weekend. The drive through Austria took us by the town of Innsbruck where Stephen and I went for the Christmas market in December. We drove up on Thursday and spent the rest of the day relaxing in the hotel. It was a very nice building with three restaurants, a pool, an arcade, and plenty more to do.

On Friday morning Stephen and I woke up early to bike up to the Partnach Gorge which was about a 30-minute ride, but we stopped along the way to see the Olympic ski jump. It was pretty weird because this jump sits upon a mountain just above fields with hay houses, and while we were there, lots of families were working as if there was no Olympic jumps near them. You can see the jump in the picture below, to the right of the covered bridge.

We biked between two mountains and easily found the gorge since so many people seemed so attracted to it. The gorge was beautiful--it was a mountain split in two with a picturesque, crystal-clear river rushing through it. The water comes from a glacier and the water looked so refrshing we just wanted to take a dip--but it was freezing.

Everyone was jealous of our great ride--tandem biking all the way!

The bike ride went through the fields outside of Garmisch, but this scene was not unique to Germany. It seemed as though everywhere we drove there were miles of fields littered with hay houses.

On Friday evening, we all went into the town of Garmisch for some shopping and an appetizer before having dinner at a brewery. We stopped at a chocolaterie where everything smelled amazing, so we brought home a box of mixed chocolates. Can't wait to eat those! That night we had a tour of the Griesbrau brewery in Murnau where they brew and sell their own beer on the premises (but they don't ship or sell it anywhere else!). You can see Woflgang, our guide describing the processes below. He is wearing his lederhosen, too, which is the traditional Bavarian dress for men. Of course, this is no longer common, but we did see some Germans proudly wearing theirs!

Saturday was an early morning.

The resort organizes trips and we chose to visit the Neuschwanstein Castle after hearing so much about it. About six families boarded our gigantic tour bus Saturday morning at 8:00am. The first stop on our trip was at a woodworking shop where we bought a smoker, the thing you see below. It is a little wooden man whose upper body can be removed so that you can put in burning incense. The smoke exits through is mouth, so it looks like he is smoking! We loved it and thought it would be a great addition to our quickly-expanding box of Christmas decorations.

Our second stop was at Wieskirche church, or church in the meadows. The name is quite accurate, too, because this church is in the middle of nowhere. The story of the church is very interesting and you can read about it here, but the church is built for the purpose of housing a once-abandoned statue of Jesus that is believed to have literally cried tears. Across from the church we had a delicious donut and coffees before heading to the castle.

At 1:00 we began our tour at the Neuschwanstein Castle, the palace which inspired Walt Disney for his castle, and while we could not take pictures inside, the outside was just as beautiful.

This trip took all of our Saturday, and we left the next morning (after a hearty breakfast, of course). If you are still interested about the gorge we visited, check out my video below!

Family & Rome

2013-07-26T14:19:00.002+02:00

I am writing to you from a hot, stale living room. It is officially summer, and someone did not notify the Italians because even this morning (as I was buying fruit from the weekly market) I saw hoards of pant-wearing people. Despite all this, the weekend has arrived and today Stephen and I are having friends over for dinner. After cleaning the apartment and lugging home huge bags of groceries in this heat, everything is ready for tonight, and I thought I would finally put up pictures from the last two weeks!

Time certainly has flown by since Stephen and I have had the pleasure of hosting his mother and brother for a week and a half. It was so nice having family around, and it prompted a visit to Rome. This would be my second visit to the Eternal City, but everyone else's first time seeing such beautiful sights as the Colosseo and the Vatican.

My favorite part of Rome is the Roman ruins that sit next to the colosseum. We took a tour through Palatine Hill, the home of the emperor, and the Roman Forum with all the standing buildings of the ancient city.

While most of these sights I had seen before, we got to visit Piazza Navona which is currently a square sitting on top of an ancient stadium. We also went to the Spanish Steps which are tremendously forgettable, that was until I learned that this is the widest staircase in Europe! If you were wondering, the world's longest staircase is not very far away, in Switzerland. Not only that, but it is extremely close to Interlaken--one of the places I have been dying to visit!

While Rome was a whirlwind, things did not stop when we got home! We were great hosts while they were here--as you can see, it is always a party in our house!

It was a great trip and a wonderful week with family! This weekend's agenda: nothing.